Tropical Chicken Coconut Lime (Printable)
Tender chicken in coconut-lime sauce with pineapple and peppers, served over jasmine rice.
# What You'll Need:
→ Proteins
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb 5 oz), cubed
→ Produce
02 - 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
08 - 1 lime (zest and juice)
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
→ Sauces & Spices
10 - 1 can (13.5 fl oz) coconut milk
11 - 1 tablespoon tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
12 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
13 - 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
14 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
15 - Salt and black pepper to taste
→ Oils
16 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
→ To Serve
17 - 1 cup jasmine rice (uncooked)
# Steps:
01 - Cook jasmine rice according to package instructions. Set aside and keep warm.
02 - In a large skillet or wok, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 5–6 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add garlic, ginger, onion, and bell peppers. Sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened.
04 - Add the diced pineapple and cook for another 2 minutes, allowing it to lightly caramelize.
05 - Return the chicken to the skillet. Pour in the coconut milk, tamari, honey, turmeric, and chili flakes. Stir well to combine.
06 - Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through.
07 - Stir in the lime juice and zest. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Spoon the tropical chicken over jasmine rice. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The coconut lime sauce is the kind of thing you will want to drizzle over everything once you taste it.
- It looks like you spent hours on it but the whole thing comes together in under an hour with one pan.
02 -
- Do not rush the sauce reduction because thin coconut milk just tastes like soup and you want something that clings to each piece of chicken.
- Pan temperature matters enormously here because if the oil is not hot enough when the chicken goes in, it steams instead of browning and you lose that crucial caramelized layer.
03 -
- Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels before cubing it because wet chicken steams instead of searing and you lose the entire flavor foundation of the dish.
- A squeeze of Sriracha drizzled over each bowl at the end adds a slow building heat that makes the sweet tropical flavors taste even more complex.